Attempts to feminise boys or to diminish their masculinity must not be a part of any education system. Efforts, consciously or subconsciously, to do so can only produce a society with an unhealthy gender equilibrium.

"No games but board games" or "no games are fair games" would appear to be the desired wish of a great many teachers. Those teachers see competitive, physical contact sports in terms of dominance and bullying. Their logic seems to run: "Girls are more passive and easier to discipline in class than boys, so if we could get all boys to behave like girls the teacher's job would be easier."

We must not allow this viewpoint to become an educational ideal that we aim to achieve. Boys and girls are physically, emotionally and psychologically different. The male's physiological chemistry plays a defining role in shaping his emotional and psychological make-up and how it differs from the female's.

From observations of simple freechoice activities, given to children (1) in the classroom, (2) in the PE hall or playground and (3) on the playing pitch, I can point to significant differences in behaviour between the sexes. I believe those differences result from the hormonal composition specific to each gender.

In the classroom, the teacher says to a mixed group of seven- to 12-year-olds: "You now have 15 minutes to do as you wish, within the confines of the classroom rules, of course." Boys will group together and involve themselves in armstrength tests or similar activities. If they sit close to each other they will jostle and seek extra space. They will tend to use somewhat aggressive language.

Girls, in contrast, will converse more, set about art or craft work and will huddle close to each other supportively. They will use less aggressive language. Words such as "sorry" and "excuse me" will be heard more frequently than in the boys' group.

In the PE hall or playground, if we allow a free-play period the boys will jump on each other's backs. They will shoulder and jostle each other and generally get involved in rough play. Girls will form a group and decide on an ordered game; the games may even involve sitting down at regular intervals.

On the playing pitch, boys - in the main - will choose physical contact games (football, rugby etc). Girls, in general, avoid robust contact sports and when involved, with the exception of the few, will fold their arms if the ball is at the other end of the pitch and they are not directly involved in play. This is a manifestation of their opting-out of the game and perhaps a display of selfprotection too. Non-competitive boys in similar circumstances tend to put their hands in their pockets or let them hang by their sides. Boys appear to be more reckless and spread their limbs all over the place.

In nature, it would appear, males are generally the larger and more aggressive and active members of the species. Females are usually more gentle and passive. Perhaps this has some bearing on the fact that in sports, females, by and large, like games for their participative value, while males prefer the competitive and physical aspects of sports. This is hardly learned behaviour. It is, I believe, innate and specific to their sex.

In the school context, possibly because of the gender imbalance in the teaching force, there is an unconscious trend to feminise boys. The enormous emphasis on anti-bullying policies and programmes and attempts to reduce, degrade or eliminate contact sports in schools indicates this.

It appears to me that greater emphasis on tolerance and the acceptance of differences in gender, character, appearance etc might produce better results than placing excessive emphasis on the problem of bullying and producing negative and sometimes counter-productive anti-bullying policies.

Separate games for boys and girls over the ages of 10 years is one way to answer the contact sports question - though, of course, certain minimal-contact sports, such as basketball, ought to be played by mixed gender groups of all ages.

Boys need physical release. This should be understood by teachers. It is accepted that, in general, it is boys who present most problems in school. We rarely hear of the problem of exclusion, whereby girls ignore or refuse to talk to each other, withdrawing the great gift of speech from a colleague. This is passive bullying.

We must control aggressive behaviour by boys, but we must let them work out their competitive aggression on the playing field, not in the classroom or against each other in the playground.

Gender imbalance among teachers, particularly in classes at the upper end of primary school, should be addressed urgently. Greater emphasis should also be placed on physical education in primary schools. Fitness tests should be conducted annually or more often if possible.

Children should have, as with other subjects, a textbook or workbook containing drills and exercises which would heighten their awareness of the importance of physical fitness.

We must teach boys to be boys. Teach them self-control. Give them the language they need to respect others, to be gentle and tolerant - but do not curb their natural instinct to compete and to release their natural physical aggressiveness. Boys will be boys.

Pat Keogh is principal of Ard Mhuire National School, Belgard, Dublin.